ONE of the most frustrating things in football is the way in which we handle blood injuries.
The circumstances of the blood injury are irrelevant. I do not know how many blood injuries are caused by foul play although I would hazard a guess that most blood injuries are caused by a foul.
The frustration to the team and manager is that a player must leave the field to receive treatment and the team are reduced to 10 men during his absence. Often, it is a case of hanging in there until numbers are levelled up again.
The difficulty is that there is a temptation to place an emphasis on the speed of a player's treatment, not necessarily upon the best possible solution for the player's long term well being.
Surely it is time that we followed rugby's lead on this matter and allowed a substitute on temporarily in this situation?
Of course there is a danger of a team bending the rules. But surely that is slight. And with the amount of scrutiny involved, hardly worth noting.
A change in the rules like this would enable players to be properly stitched and repaired without the ludicrous rush that goes on and it would keep a spectacle on the field rather than a rearguard action.
Good for players, fair to teams, and positive for spectators. Is there a loser?
MY SON PROVES GAME IS CHANGING
I was at QPR for seven years from the age of 11. My development from 11-16 was such that I was selected for England at U17 and U18 ahead of players in my age group like Paul Merson and Paul Ince. I was getting a good enough development to be considered as one of the best 16 in the country at those ages.
So let's look at that development; what did it entail? Between 11 and 16, I attended QPR once a week and then at 15-16 got an occasional call up to play in the youth team on a Saturday. We reported to Loftus Road and walked down to a hard core training area in the shadows of the Stadium.
We were treated to very experienced coaching for a couple of hours and that was that. In my time, I played under the coaching of Bobby Ross, George Graham, Pat Holland and George Armstrong. Talented and experienced former players with much expertise to pass on. But that was the full extent of my training.
My eight-year-old son is in a Premier League Academy. He attends the Academy four times a week. Once for competitive matches, three times for coaching and development. Already that development is multi faceted.
He has begun mental development, he has begun physical development, his tactical development is underway, his technical skills programme is relentless. Each Sunday, we are required to sit and plan his development for the following week which must be supported by homework. Coaching resources are high in terms of coach time per boy and facilities are amazing.
His understanding of the game is growing by the day and the quality of football his team plays is stunning.
If anybody thinks England are not treating their long term problems seriously, this simple little comparison provides ample evidence that the right work is going in. Things have changed massively.
Today's eight-year-olds are getting far superior coaching to yesterday's elite 16-year-olds. English football is going forwards. Those responsible deserve a pat on the back.
The fruits need to grow now the seeds are being sown. I am a great believer that you get what you deserve. The culture is changing and we will get what we deserve if we follow it through.
PETE LIFTS THE PRESSURE
Mk Dons' chairman Pete Winkleman talked this week about his opposition to Premier League ideas on the creation of competitive B teams playing below the top flight.
His argument included the view that clubs need to release the pressure on managers for results so that youth can be given much more of an opportunity because managers would be less pressured and can be more courageous.
It is great to hear a chairman talking like that. I also think that the vast majority of managers are brave enough and wise enough to give good youngsters their chance.
Young players do make errors, cost you points and learn lessons. But they also play with a vibrancy that is unmistakeable and invaluable.
Sir Alex Ferguson taught every manager the value of giving young players their opportunity. His trophy haul was in large part due to his phenomenal ability to develop young players. None of us need any greater clue.
LOOK, IT'S COMPLICATED
I was asked this week for my opinion on Greg Abbott's sacking by Carlisle. My response was to say that nobody can ever really comment on a managerial dismissal other than those directly involved.
My experience is that you will never truly know the full reasons behind a managerial change.
Sometimes things can be very simple. More often, though, things are very complicated.
So many people are involved in a club nowadays, so many vested interests can conflict, so much politics develop.
A manager would rarely be sacked after five or six games just because of poor results. You never know; a manager might even be glad of a club's decision in certain circumstances.
It does seem harsh to make such a serious change so early.
But the men and women making the decisions will always have their reasons.
